Craigslist Scam Leaves Jacksonville Woman Heartbroken, Broke, Carless

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The online marketplace, Craigslist.org, can help shoppers find great deals, but it also has become a bedrock of consumer horror stories.

Two weeks ago, Tina Morris, of Jacksonville, was shopping Craigslist for a car for her daughter, but when she handed over her money and found herself trapped in a scam.

"It was for my daughter's graduation present," said Morris.

Morris found a 2007 Honda Accord listed for $2,900 on Craigslist. The seller claimed she was in Lake City, but the car was in a New Jersey shipping yard.

"It sounded logical to me," said Morris.

The seller, via e-mail, said the car was part of a divorce and the sale was being handled by eBay motors agent Gary Doyle.

Morris did not see the red flags, she said. She was emailed a copy of an AutoCheck of the vehicle's history, and instructed to send the $2,900 by Western Union to Gary Doyle in Seville, Spain.

She did, but then there was a request for more money for insurance. "They said, you have two options, you can get your money back or send $1k. I said, send my money and they said it will be 40 days, " said Morris.

She decided to call eBay motors for help and was shocked by what she heard. "They told me it was a scam," said Morris.

Now her emails to the so-called seller are being rejected. The scheme was seamless, she said. "It was so perfect."

Morris has filed complaints with the Florida attorney general and the federal Internet Crime Complaint Center.

But the single mom, who was disabled in a car accident, is out of money and has no car. She said the money was borrowed to make her daughter's graduation memorable. "I was wanting to do something for my daughter and it went all wrong," she said.